Improvement in spikes



a. .N. SANDERS.

Spike;

Patented Febjl l/Qhew ea 1 we mrmc' co. won-mass 5 4e mm PLACE, my,

lTNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE N. SANDERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPIKES.

Specification forming part of" Letters Patent No. 159,611, dated February 9, 1875; application filed May 12, 1874.

CASE A.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. SANDERS, counsellor-at-law, of 39 Nassau street, New York city, State of New York, have invented the hereinafter-described Improved Ourvo- Spike, (the original being secured by Letters Patent No. 140,844, dated July 15, 1873, to the late George N. Sanders and myself,) of which the following is a specification:

Referring to the figures in the accompanying drawing, A is the head; a, the hook on the head; 0, the shoulder; D, the neck; E, the tail; f g, the bevel; f, the point or extremity; e 0 f, the concaving opposite the bevel, which constitutes the improvement upon the aforesaid patented spike; G, the object to be fastened, p q, the surface-line of the timber to which G is to be secured; and m d n e, the depression in, and n e 0 the protuberance on, the rear side of the spike, it being evident that the rear side may be regarded as being shaped by such depression and protuberance. The shape of the depression given is that preferred; but it may be formed simply as m n e,

by running, the back down straight, as indicated by the dotted line m n, leaving the protuberance at 6.

Figures 1, 2, and 4 represent the size corresponding to the common hook-head railroadspike; Fig. 3, a smaller size used, to hold in the common old spikes; Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the side view of the spike before being driven Figs. 5, 6, and 7, when driven and holding the object G to be fastened, Fig. 4, a modification of Fig. 1, with the neck reduced in thickness. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 show different degrees of development in the shoulder and neck, and the variation of the deflection and inflection of thespike, produced by the variation of the taperin g of the shank, the thickness of the neck, the convexity of thebevel, and the concaving c ofopposite the bevel, showing that any degree of tenacity of hold may be attained without making the thick.- ness of the tail 6 17 greater than that of the top of the shank at p q, so that the latter will perfectly fill the hole made by the tail.

In some cases it may be desirable to increase the thickness of the neck, so that it shall not bend appreciably, not morethan the elasticity of the metal will rectify, as in Fig.1.

The different sizes of this spike are adapted to the various uses of spikes, nails, bolts, and similar fastenings adapted to being secured by being driven into wood or other material. The size and shape of the head and the perimeter of the shank are varied to suit the use to which the spike is applied.

The spike, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, is peculiarly adapted to securing the rails to the cross ties 011 railroads, for the following reasons: It takes the slant shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in driving, being started in straight or vertical to the surface-line, the head gradually pressing forward at each blow, and the tail backward, so that the head clears the top of the rail perfectly, the common spike being prevented from being driven in that position by the top of the rail. They all hug the rails perfectly, bearing the strain equally, and lessening the jar very much. They assume a position which resists the upward action of the rail, and the upward pressure is borne partly by the top of the shank, leaning over on the top of the flange.

They are readily extracted with a common spike-extractor, and without injury to the tie, so they may be redriven in the same hole, and continue to hold. The concavo-convex point, going with the grain, cuts the wood most perfectly, greatly decreasing the decay from laceration, and the fiber, being pressed into the depression in d n'e, retains the original hold as long as the tie remains sound, uninfluenced by jarring or the slight decay of fibers in contact with the spike, and the top of the'shank makes a water-tight joint at the surface of the tie.

I claim as my invention-- The improved curvo-spike A O D E, with the concave-convex point ef g, and a sloped protuberance at c, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses this 8th day of May, 1874, at the city of New York.

GEO. N. SANDERS.

Witnesses:

LOUIS A. WAGNER, LEwIs SANDERS. 

